旧石器時代 the Old Stone Age, the Paleolithic
打製石器 chipped stone tools
縄文時代 the Jomon Period
縄文土器 straw-rope patten pottery
磨製石器 polished stone tools
竪穴住居 pit dwellings
貝塚 shell heaps
弥生時代 the Yayoi Period
弥生土器 Yayoi ware
稲作 rice cultivation
高床倉庫 a raised granary
環濠集落 moated settlements
銅剣、銅矛、銅鐸、銅鏡 bronze swords, bronze spearheads, bronze bells, bronze mirrors
金印 Gold Seal
漢倭奴国王 the King of Na
邪馬台国 the country of Yamatai
卑弥呼 Queen Himiko
魏志倭人伝 the History of Wei
大和朝廷 the Yamato Court
古墳 burial mounds
装飾古墳 Decorated kofun (ancient burial mounds)
前方後円墳 keyhole(-shaped) burial mounds
横穴式石室 horizontal stone chamber
埴輪 clay images
三角縁神獣鏡 Sankakubuchi Shinjūkyō (triangular-rimmed bronze mirrors with divine-beast motifs)
大君（おおきみ）great king
豪族 a powerful family
帰化人 a naturalized person
氏姓制度 the system of clans and hereditary titles
磐井の乱 Iwai Rebellion
仏教伝来 the introduction of Buddhism
須恵器 an unglazed ceramic ware
聖徳太子 Prince Shotoku
摂政 a regent
冠位十二階 the Twelve Level Cap-and Rank System
十七条憲法 the 17 Article Constitution
遣隋使 an envoy to Sui Dynasty China
遣唐使 an envoy to Tang Dynasty China
大宝律令 the Taiho Code
太政官 great council
白村江の戦い the Battle of Baegang-gu
班田収授法 the land allotment system
口分田 allotted fields
平城京 Heijo Palace
条坊制 grid city plan for the imperial capital
古事記 Records of Ancient Matters
日本書紀 the Oldest Chronicles of Japan
風土記 Fudoki (provincial records),
三種の神器 three sacred treasures (mirror, comma-shaped jewel, sword)
万葉集 Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves
梅花の宴 Plum Blossom Banquet
初春令月、気淑風和、梅披鏡前之粉、蘭薫珮後之香
In the auspicious month of early spring,
the air is pure, the breeze gentle.
The plum blossoms open, as if spreading powder before a mirror,
and the orchids give forth fragrance, like perfume from jeweled pendants.
青丹よし 奈良の都は 咲く花の におうがごとく 今盛りなり
Fair Nara, city of green hills,
is now in its full glory,
shining and fragrant
like blossoms in their prime.
銀も 金も玉も なにせむに まされる宝 子にしかめやも
Fair Nara, city of green hills,
is now in its full glory,
shining and fragrant
like blossoms in their prime.
防人 coast guards
租庸調 corvee, taxes in kind or service
三世一身法 the Law Permitting Private Ownership of Newly Cultivated Land up to Three Generations
正倉院 the Shosoin Treasure House
校倉造り azekura style (made of triangular logs)
東大寺大仏 Todaiji Temple, Great Buddha
太宰府政庁 Dazaifu government offices
大宰帥 Governor-General of Dazaifu
戒壇院 Kaidan-in Temple
水城 water castle
国分寺 state-supported provincial temple
平安京 Heian Palace
最澄、天台宗 Saicho, Tendai sect
空海、真言宗 Kukai, Shingon sect
密教 esoteric Buddhism
曼荼羅 mandala
上皇 an ex-emperor
院政 government by a retired emperor
摂政、関白 regent, chief advisor
荘園 manors
日宋貿易 the trade between Japan and the Sung Dynasty
国風文化 the national (aristocratic) culture
遣唐使の廃止 the abolition of Japanese envoys to Tang China
大宰権帥 Deputy Governor-General of Dazaifu
飛び梅、東風吹かば匂いおこせよ梅の花主なしとて春な忘れそ
Jump Plum
When the eastern wind blows,
send forth your fragrance, O plum blossoms.
Even if your master is gone,
do not forget the spring.
大和絵 Japanese pictures
蒔絵、螺鈿 Makie (Japanese lacquer sprinkled with gold or silver powder), Raden (mother-of-pearl inlay work)
三筆 Three Famous Calligraphers (in a Chinese style)/ Kukai, Emperor Saga and Tachibana no Hayanari
三蹟 Three Famous Calligraphers (in a national style /Ono no Michikaze, Fujiwara no Sukemasa, Fujiwara no Yuknari
阿弥陀信仰 the Amitabha faith
末法思想 pessimism due to decadent-age theory
漢字、ひらがな、カタカナ Chinese characters, hiragana, katakana
古今和歌集 Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry
藤原純友の乱 Fujiwara no Sumitomo Rebellion
源氏 the Minamoto clan
平氏 the Taira clan
源平騒乱 Taira-Minamoto War.
保元の乱 the Hogen Disturbance
平治の乱 the Heiji Disturbance
太政大臣 the chancellor of the Realm
壇ノ浦の戦い the battle of Dannoura
征夷大将軍 Commander-in Chief of the Expeditionary Force against the Barbarians
武家政治 samurai government
執権 military regent
元寇 the Mongolian Invasions
元寇防塁 Stone Fortifications
文永の役 Bunei War
弘安の役 Koan War
鎮西探題 a magistrate of Kyushu region
蒙古襲来絵詞 Mongol Invasion Scrolls
栄西、臨済宗 The Rinzai sect (Eisai)
道元、曹洞宗 The Soto sect (Dogen)
平家物語、軍記物 The tale of the Heike, military chronicles
新古今和歌集 New Collection of Ancient and Modern Poetry
鳥獣人物戯画 Birds, Beasts, and Human Caricatures
水墨画 ink wash painting.
建武の新政 Kenmu Restoration
南北朝時代 The Period of the Northern and Southern Courts
倭寇 Japanese pirates
勘合貿易 the tally trade
守護大名 Provincial military governor
九州探題 Kyusyu Commissioner
博多商人 Hakata merchants
書院造り Samurai-residence style
御伽草子 fairy-tale book
枯山水 dry landscape garden
佗茶 Tea Ceremony in the Spirit of Wabi
応仁の乱 the Onin war
一揆 peasant uprising
下剋上 supplanting one’s superior/uprising
戦国時代 the Age of Civil Wars/ the Age of the Warring States
大伴氏、龍造寺氏、島津氏 The Ōtomo Clan, The Ryūzōji Clan, The Shimazu Clan
門前町、寺内町、港町 temple town, temple complex town, port town
日明貿易 Japan-Ming Trade
鉄砲伝来 the introduction of guns
火縄銃 matchlock guns
キリスト教伝来 the introduction of Christianity
イエズス会 Jesuit
宣教師 missionaries
キリシタン大名 Christian Daimyō
天正遣欧少年使節 Tenshō Embassy to Europe
南蛮貿易 Southern Barbarian Trade
本能寺の変 the Honoji Incident
楽市楽座 free markets and open guilds
安土城、天守閣 Azuchi Castle, castle tower/castle keep/donjon
全国統一 national unification
九州平定 The Subjugation of Kyushu
太閤 retired regent
太閤検地 Taiko land survey
刀狩り sword hunt
バテレン追放令 edict expelling Jesuit missionaries
26聖人殉教 t he Martyrdom of the 26 Saints
朝鮮出兵 the dispatch of troops to Korea / Imjin War.
関ヶ原の戦い the Battle of Sekigahara
東軍、西軍 Eastern Forces. Western Forces
島津の退き口 Shimazu’s Retreat
黒田官兵衛 Kuroda Kanbē
立花宗茂 Tachibana Muneshige
加藤清正 Katō Kiyomasa
熊本城 Kumamoto Castle
天守閣 Main Keep (castle tower)
本丸 Central Bailey (main enclosure of a Japanese castle)
武者返し “Warrior Repeller” stone walls
昭君乃間 Room of Wang Zhaojun
暗がり通路 Dark Passage
宇土櫓 Dark Passage
宮本武蔵 Dark Passage
巌流島の決闘 The Duel on Ganryū Island
五輪書 The Duel on Ganryū Island
二刀流 Two-Sword Style
大坂冬の陣 Winter Siege of Osaka
大阪夏の陣 Summer Siege of Osaka
東照大権現 Great Gongen, Light of the East
将軍 shogun/ military dictator
大名 feudal lords
家老 senior retainer
奉行 magistrate/ commissioner
家臣 retainer/vassal
藩 feudal domain
親藩、譜代、外様 Relatives of the Shogun, Hereditary Vassal Daimyō, Outside Lords
天領 Tokugawa Direct Territories
改易、取り潰し abolishment or confiscation of a domain
石高 Land Productivity Rating
参勤交代 The policy of alternate attendance requiring daimyo to spend alternating years in Edo and their home domain.
五街道 the Five Main Roads
城下町 castle town
宿場 post town
本陣 Official Lodging
一国一城令 the Order of One Castle per Province
オランダ商館 Dutch Trading Post
キリスト禁教令 Christian Prohibition Edict
鎖国令 Closed Country Policy
島原の乱 Shimabara Rebellion.
寺請制度 Temple Certification System
絵踏み step on Christian images
隠れキリシタン Hidden Christians
農民一揆 peasant uprising
朱印船 Red Seal Ship
豪商 Wealthy Merchant
生糸、絹織物、砂糖 raw silk, silk fabric, sugar
銀、銅、鉄 silver, copper, iron
出島 Dejima Trading Post.
オランダ風説書 Dutch Intelligence Reports
長崎街道、シュガーロードNagasaki Kaidō (Sugar Road)
唐人屋敷 Chinese quarter
四つの窓口 the Four Gateways
天下の台所 the Kitchen of the Nation
藩校 domain school
寺子屋 temple school
読み書きそろばん Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic (Abacus)
町民 townspeople
儒学者 Confucious scholar
朱子学 Neo-Confucianism (Zhu Xi School)
武士道 the Way of the Warrior
俳句 haiku
「古池や 蛙飛び込む 水の音」
“Old pond — a frog jumps in — sound of water” (Bashō)
奥の細道 The Narrow Road to the Deep North
浮世絵 Ukiyo-e
富嶽三十六景、神奈川沖浪裏 Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, The Great Wave off Kanagawa
尊皇攘夷 Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians/ Revere the Emperor and Expel the Foreigners
討幕運動 Movement to overthrow the shogunate
異国船打払令、薪水給与令 Edict to Repel Foreign Vessels, Edict for Provision of Firewood and Water
シーボルト、鳴滝塾 Philipp Franz von Siebold, Narutaki-juku (Siebold’s academy)
黒船、マシュー・ペリー提督 Black Ships, Commodore Matthew Perry
「泰平の眠りをさます上喜撰たった四盃で夜も寝られず」
“Jōkisen tea, which wakes one from the peaceful slumber, Just four cups, and you can’t sleep all night.”
総領事館 Consulate-General
咸宜園 Kangien School,
「人材を教育するのは、善の大なるものなり」
“Educating human resources is the greatest good,”
薩摩藩 Satsuma Domain
集成館事業 Shūseikan Project
黒砂糖の専売 Monopoly on brown sugar
公武合体 Union of the Imperial Court and the Tokugawa Shogunate
郷中教育 Community-Based Education
薩英戦争 The Anglo-Satsuma War
薩長同盟 Satsuma-Chōshū Alliance
亀山社中 Kameyama Shachū (trading company founded by Sakamoto Ryōma)
大政奉還 Return of Political Power to the Emperor
王政復古 Restoration of Imperial Rule
戊辰戦争 Boshin War
江戸城無血開城 Bloodless Surrender of Edo Castle
版籍奉還 Return of Lands and People
廃藩置県 Abolition of the feudal domains and establishment of prefectures富国強兵 Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Army
殖産興業 Promote Industry and Commerce
文明開化 Civilization and Enlightenment
西洋列強 Western Powers
お雇い外国人 hired foreign experts
反射炉 reverberatory furnace
紡績 Spinning (Textile Industry)
「和華蘭（わからん）文化」 Japanese-Chinese-Dutch culture
官営八幡製鉄所 State-Run Yawata Steel Works
造船所 Shipyard
『明治日本の産業革命遺産 製鉄・製鋼、造船、石炭産業』Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding, and Coal Mining
藩閥政治 Clan-Based Politics
薩長土肥 Satsuma, Chōshū, Tosa, Hizen domains
征韓論 Policy/Argument for the Conquest of Korea
士族 Former Samurai Class
廃刀令 Sword Abolishment Edict
廃仏毀釈 anti-Buddhist movement
不平士族 Discontented former samurai
西南戦争、「もうここらでよか」
Satsuma Rebellion, “This is enough” or “Let this be the end”
自由民権運動 Freedom and People’s Rights Movement
大日本帝国憲法 Constitution of the Empire of Japan
教育勅語 Imperial Rescript on Education
日清戦争 First Sino-Japanese War
日露戦争 Russo-Japanese War
満州 Manchuria
大正ロマン Taishō-era cultural romanticism